Binghamton, New York

Binghamton is a city in Broome County, New York. The area was first settled by Europeans following the Sullivan Expedition of 1779, and it was named for wealthy Philadelphian businessman William Bingham. The village was incorporated in 1834, and it became a city in 1867 due to population growth brought by the expansion of the railroads. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many immigrants moved into the area, becoming the second-largest cigar manufacturer in the United States during the 1880s. The area became a center of working-class opportunity, and its population peaked at 85,000 in the mid-1950s. Postwar suburban development led to a decline in the city's population, and the city underwent urban renewal during the 1960s and 1970s. Binghamton currently has a large concentration of high-tech firms, as well as healthcare and education businesses (especially Binghamton University). In 2016, Binghamton had a population of 45,672 people.